5 Tips For Writing Marketing Emails That Get Results

Despite increased marketing opportunities on social media, email still outperforms social media when it comes to nurturing sales leads and converting them into paying customers. According to one study email is up to six times more effective than social media. But not just any old email will do. To get the most out of your emails, think beyond just open rates and consider how your marketing emails can engage your customer and create dollars-and-cents results. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

Create Subject Line Synergy

Every email needs a subject line compelling enough for recipients to open it, but your subject line is just one part of the puzzle. Subject lines should work together with the preview text and email headline (if you have one) to create a consistent experience for the reader. These three pieces of copy should build on each other and continue the same thought or theme. They also need to align with the body of your email. No one likes being promised something in a subject that doesn’t get delivered in the copy that follows. Need some inspiration to get you started? Here are 18 examples of engaging subject lines.

Get Personal

Once you have the reader’s attention, make the most of it by speaking to them directly and addressing their specific needs or referencing an action they’ve already taken. In most cases, the first thing your email should do is explain why the recipient is getting it in the first place. For example, you might email a customer who recently requested a quote for installing a new AV system in their conference room, but they never scheduled the actual installation. Once you’ve explained why someone is receiving an email, you can move on to what you can offer—in this case, perhaps a limited time installation discount.

Focus on Benefits

One of the best ways to make your email offer attractive to a potential customer is to show them how the product or service you are offering will help them solve a problem, overcome a challenge or make some other kind of improvement. For example, don’t just tell customers they can get a free quote for installing a new video conferencing system. Show them how a new video conferencing system will improve productivity at their company. Putting this value proposition in the first sentence of your email will get you started on the right foot.

Don’t Forget the Call To Action

All your hard work will be for nothing if you don’t provide a next step or a way for the customer to act. Whether it’s to claim an offer, download an eBook or request a free consultation, your call to action moves your email recipient to the next step. CTAs should make it clear to your customer what comes next. Their design and placement on the page should encourage clicks. Review our Five Steps to Creating an Effective Call-to-Action for more tips.

Get the Proof

Sure, we all get a kick out of big brands making silly mistakes from time to time, but a reader will likely disregard even the most persuasive email copy if it is riddled with typos, spelling mistakes, or grammatical errors. Make sure someone (other than you) looks over the final product and proofs it before you hit send. Following these proofreading tips will help ensure your content—not your mistakes—are what people remember.

There are, of course, other factors that contribute to the success of an email marketing campaign, including the quality of the product and the attractiveness of the offer, but following these steps to make every email a compelling one will put you well on the way to meeting your goals.